Bylaws
Approved by ASC: April 14, 2006
Approved by Faculty Senate: May 1, 2006
CHAPTER 1: Name and Purpose
A. The name of this group is the Academic Standards Council.
B. Its purposes are to recommend university policy and procedures pertaining to academic standards for admission, progression, and the granting of degrees and certificates. Specific areas of concern include but are not restricted to: 1) advising, 2) academic standards, 3) scholastic appeals, 4) admission and progression requirements, 5) honors programs and societies, 6) advanced standing and placement, 7) evaluation of transfer policies, and 8) standards for award of ISU credit.
CHAPTER 2: Membership, Selection, and Recall
A. The membership of the Council consists of:
1. Two Arts and Sciences faculty representatives
2. Health Professions faculty representative
3. Pharmacy faculty representative
4. Engineering faculty representative
5. Education faculty representative
6. Business faculty representative
7. Technology faculty representative
8. Academic Affairs representative
9. Dean of Arts and Sciences (or designee)
10. Academic Council representative (Dean, Professional College)
11. ASISU representative
12. Faculty Senate representative
13. Student Affairs representative
14. Enrollment Planning representative (non-voting)
15. Registration & Records representative (non-voting)
B. The Faculty Senate appoints a member of its body to the Council annually and appoints other designated faculty representatives from the general faculty to the Council for terms of three years.
1. No faculty representative may be reappointed to the Council for a third term without at least a one year interval between full terms of office.
2. Other representatives on the Council are appointed and terms of office established by their appointed constituencies (Administration and Student Senate).
C. If a vacancy occurs among the faculty representatives, the Faculty Senate appoints a new member in accordance with the membership provisions in Chapter 2.A.
D. Attendance at Council meetings is required.
1. Any Council member who misses three meetings in an academic year is subject to recall by the appointing constituency (Faculty Senate, Administration, or Student Senate).
2. The Faculty Senate may recall any faculty representative for three absences (including its own member) through approval of two-thirds of those voting. The Faculty Senate must allow the member in question an opportunity to appear before the Senate to explain his or her absences.
CHAPTER 3: Officers and Meetings
A. The Council elects the Chair and the Vice Chair of the Council in the spring semester from the continuing membership of the Council. These officers will serve for one year and may be re-elected if eligible.
B. If the office of the Chair or Vice Chair becomes vacant, the Council elects a new officer from its membership who have served at least one year.
C. The Council meets:
1. In accordance with a calendar governing meeting of Councils as established by the Faculty Senate.
2. Upon the call of the Chair, who is responsible for informing Council members in advance of the meeting of its time, place, and agenda.
D. If three members of the Council request a meeting, the Chair will call it within two weeks of the request in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3.C.2.
E. Should removal of the Council Chair become necessary, it will be done in accordance with the provisions groverning amendments to the Bylaws as outlined in Chapter 6.B. A two-thirds approval of the quorum being present is required for removal.
CHAPTER 4: Minutes, Quorum, and Voting
A. Minutes are kept for each meeting and prepared in accordance with the format set by the Faculty Senate.
B. Within two weeks of the meeting, statements of policy recommendations are approved by mail ballot or e-mail or special meeting of the Council and submitted to the Faculty Senate for review. The Council’s policy recommendations are considered by the Faculty Senate in accordance with its Bylaws.
C. A quorum consists of fifty percent (50%) of the voting Council membership.
D. A motion passes when it receives a majority of the votes.
1. Abstentions do not count as votes.
2. Tie votes fail.
3. The Chair has the right to vote on all motions.
4. No proxy or absentee votes are allowed.
CHAPTER 5: Standing Committees
A. The Scholastic Appeals Board
A standing committee
of this Council is the Scholastic Appeals Board. The Scholastic Appeals
Board considers cases of significant infractions of student rights as defined by
Student Code and affecting a student’s final course grade in accordance
with the procedures established in the ISU Student Handbook and the ISU Faculty/Staff
Handbook (Part 6. Student Affairs Section IX, Student Conduct, C.
Scholastic Appeals).
1. The Scholastic Appeals Board will be composed of a pool of faculty members annually appointed by the Academic Standards Council, a pool of students appointed annually by the Student Senate, and a representative from the Division of Student Affairs. The Chair of the Scholastic Appeals Board shall be a faculty member appointed annually by the Chair of the Academic Standards Council. Approved pool lists for membership shall be submitted to the Chair of the Scholastic Appeals Board and the Dean of Student Affairs.
2. When a properly routed petition reaches the stage of a formal hearing by the Scholastic Appeals Board, the Dean of Student Affairs will then notify the Chair of the Scholastic Appeals Board of the need to consider the petition. The Chair shall then select two additional faculty members and three students from the pools of faculty members and students and will call a meeting of the Scholastic Appeals Board including a representative from the Division of Student Affairs.
B. Academic Dishonesty Board
The charge of the Board is
to consider cases of significant infractions of academic dishonesty
leading to suspension or expulsion. Further, the scope of the Academic Dishonesty
Board shall be limited to those appeals that can be fully documented by
evidence. The Board shall not hear matters subject to the jurisdiction of the Judicial Board or general academic complaints that
should be referred directly to the Dean of the College and/or Vice
President of Academic Affairs. The Board is not a peer review board or a
committee to evaluate general teaching effectiveness. Decisions
of the Academic Dishonesty Board may not be appealed to the Scholastic
Appeals Board. (Part 6. Student Affairs Section IX. Student
Conduct, B. Academic Dishonesty Board.)
1. The Academic Dishonesty Board will be drawn from a pool of faculty members appointed by the Academic Standards Council, a pool of students appointed by the ASISU President, and include a representative from the Division of Student Affairs. The Chairperson of the Academic Dishonesty Board shall be a faculty member appointed by the Chairperson of the Academic Standards Council.
2. The procedure for a request to activate the Academic Dishonesty Board shall be as follows:
(a) The Registrar will notify the Chair of the Academic Standards Council that a student has received a second “F” with notation or a faculty member/administrator may send a request to the Chair of the Academic Standards Council asking a board be formed.
(b) Copies of all written charges, answers, and arguments, and all tangible evidence presented at the Dean’s formal hearing shall be attached to the request submitted to the Chair of the Academic Standards Council by a faculty member.
(c) The Chairperson shall select three faculty members and three students from the pools of faculty members and students and will call a meeting of the Academic Dishonesty Board, including a representative from the Division of Student Affairs. When the request is from a faculty member, the request shall be read at the initial hearing and a vote shall be taken to determine whether the Board should convene to consider suspension or expulsion. When the Academic Dishonesty Board holds a formal hearing, a date for the formal hearing shall be set. Notice of the formal hearing shall be mailed to the parties involved at least two weeks prior to the hearing. This notice must also inform the involved persons that, while not entitled to legal counsel, each person may choose a peer group member to accompany him or her at the meeting. Peer group members for faculty are other faculty members. Peer group members for students are other students.
(d) A written report of the Board’s proceedings, conclusions, and recommendations shall be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The sanction shall be imposed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who will notify, in writing, the student, the registrar, the dean (or designee) of the College in which the student is a major, and the Director of Scholarships. A copy of this notification will be placed in the student’s permanent file.
C. Standing
committees may be established or discontinued
with the consent of the Faculty Senate, and in accordance with Chapter
6.
CHAPTER 6: Amending the Bylaws
A. These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds majority of the committee.
B. No amendment of the Bylaws may be both introduced and passed at the same meeting.
C. The Faculty Senate may override Council Bylaw changes in accordance with the Faculty Senate Bylaws (Article VII, Section II).